5 Things My Mom Taught Me About Organizing and Productivity

You remember those sayings, demands, chores, urgings and advisories from mom?! You know those things that it took you almost a lifetime to realize where actually life lessons and values intended to make you the best person ever. I’ve lived a little and thought it would be fun idea for this holiday to reflect on what my mom taught me. When thinking about specifics to include for this article I texted my mom and asked “what did you try to teach us that connects to this topic”? Her responses are the first 2 🙂

1. Have a place for stuff and put it there…

Yes this one often received an “uh Mooooom” or blank stare but it is absolutely true. Defining where things belong helps you find them and return them much easier and faster. This is especially applicable with multi-user spaces.

2. Finish what you start; Keep the commitment you signed up for. If you don’t like it you don’t have to do it again but get through the process.

Okay. I have become much more of a big picture person that in the past but realizing that the planning and follow through required after making a decision were so important to my learning and sense of achievement.

A productivity point that also comes to mind is doing the hard things first. If we can get past the activities that seem so big, we gain a huge boost of confidence. Then what comes after is much easier to complete.

3. Clean your room.

In organizing this is one of the most common challenges people face- maintaining the order that is established. Did it seem like you heard this every day too? It’s interesting that this now makes me think about organizing space styles. My definition of clean was not necessarily the same as hers. Now we have tools like the Time and Space Style Inventory (link to page) to find out what makes sense for the user of the space. With that knowledge we can help the systems and the maintenance routine match the person.

And yes I do make my bed every day now.

4. Be happy with what you have.

You couldn’t control what anyone else had- As a kid not even what you had. But you could control how you looked at it. Gratitude and perspective are much more openly discussed today than they were in the past. We also practice more consumption and comparison today. We want the latest and greatest that our friend has without much regard for what we really need. If we can take a step back to a simpler definition of life and happiness, it will have an impact on the volume of unused things we have around us.

5. Come back before the street lights come on.

As a military kid there was a layer of protection around the community that afforded us some freedom of movement. So at times I could stay out later but she always had to know where I was. The street lights just served as a boundary on my behavior and strategy to plan her time. She clearly stated the expectation and there were consequences when I overstepped. This boundary allowed her to continue managing the household without overextending wondering where I was or when I’d be back. What boundaries do you set for yourself and others? Are you able to balance time for play, self care, and readiness for the upcoming day? Do you instill confidence and trust through your behavior? When a situation arises that is beyond your boundary how do you recover?

These may seem like very simple examples yet in each there is a lesson that I didn’t realize I was getting at the time. As I look at the person I have become and the work that I do, it’s so easy to identify the organizing and productivity tips mom shared all throughout my life.

What did you learn from your mom? How is it showing up in your life today? Share with a comment below.

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About Teresa Taylor

A Taylored Space was founded in 2009 when I decided the best way to use my talents and passions to help people was to start a business that could offer home and small office organizing services. Over the past couple of years I researched several alternatives but I was … Continue Reading...